The present invention relates to information technology and processing and, in particular, it concerns a system and corresponding sensor units capturing video data in order to facilitate a real-time virtual video patrol.
It is known that virtual image panning from one angle to another is possible as exemplified by Google Maps Street View. However, the images in this technology are static and can be quite outdated. Additionally, according to current technology, no attempt is made to achieve any level of fidelity of images during a transition from one sampled image viewpoint to the next, often resulting in a loss of spatial awareness of the user during the transition.
In the context of a localized event venue, such as in a sports stadium, it has been proposed to provide a virtual video panning effect from one viewing region to another based on data from multiple video cameras (US 2012/0098925, Dasher et al). However, this virtual video panning is based upon simultaneous and continuous upload of streaming video from all of the video cameras, which renders the approach impractical for implementing in a large area system.
There is therefore a need for a system and corresponding components for providing a virtual video patrol functionality.